Mariners erase deficit, but fall to Yankees in series finale

New York Yankees' Brett Gardner hits a lead-off home run as Seattle Mariners catcher Carlos Ruiz and home plate umpire Tom Woodring look on in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 23, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)(Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP)

SEATTLE – Yovani Gallardo gave up three home runs to the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon. Yet the Seattle Mariners right-hander stood to earn the victory when he departed after pitching five innings.

Yes, those dingers accounted for half of the Yankees scoring. But it was Seattle’s bullpen – and an inert offense for roughly half of the game – that ultimately flubbed this one, as three runs in the top of the sixth helped the Yankees to a 6-4 victory before a crowd of 38,503 at Safeco Field.

Left-hander James Pazos took the loss after issuing two walks, allowing one hit and yielding three runs despite facing only four batters to start the sixth inning. New York departs Seattle after winning three of four games in the weekend series.

The Mariners (49-51) scored all of their runs in the bottom of the fourth after loading the bases with nobody out against Yankees starter Caleb Smith. The bases were still loaded with two outs when left fielder Ben Gamel stepped to the plate, his team still trailing 3-0.

The long-haired left-hander prolonged the inning with a sharp single that scored two runs. Guillermo Heredia followed with a two-run double, Gamel scoring from first base to put the Mariners ahead 4-3. That was the final batter for Smith, who was chased after throwing only 56 pitches in 3 2/3 innings.

Seattle Mariners' Taylor Motter, left, is tagged out by New York Yankees first baseman Chase Headley, right, while trying to steal second base in the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 23, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)(Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP)

The comeback was necessary due to a trio of homers that staked New York (51-46) to an early lead. First it was Brett Gardner, the Yankees’ leadoff hitter, who saw exactly one pitch from Gallardo before yanking the second one over the right-field fence for a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Didi Gregorius, New York’s shortstop, smacked two dingers of his own, one in the second and one in the fourth, both to right field, to make it 3-0.

But while Gallardo wasn’t brilliant, he wasn’t bad, either, and that’s worth noting for a guy making his first start since being demoted to the bullpen last month. He lasted five innings, allowing three runs and five hits, and he struck out five batters with two walks. His final inning was his best; Gallardo retired the Yankees in order in the fifth, and struck out Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez back to back.

Pazos took over in the sixth and faced four batters, the bottom of New York’s lineup: groundout, walk, walk, single. So out he went, and in came right-hander Tony Zych with one out and the bases loaded, and Gardner greeted him with an RBI single to left field, a ball that just eluded the outstretched glove of a diving Gamel.

Clint Frazier followed with a double to left field that drove in two more runs, giving the Yankees a 6-4 lead. They nearly added another run in the ninth, but pinch-runner Jacoby Ellsbury was thrown out at the plate – right fielder Mitch Haniger to second baseman Robinson Cano to catcher Carlos Ruiz – on a two-out double by Chase Headley.

The Yankees’ relievers were mostly impenetrable: Chad Green, Dellin Betances and David Robertson retired 13 consecutive batters to set up a save situation for closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single to Nelson Cruz, though pinch-runner Taylor Motter was immediately picked off of first ... right before Kyle Seager hit a double to center field.

Seager moved to third on a passed ball, but Haniger popped out to second base and Gamel struck out to end the game.